Petrit Çela’s Complaint Against Altin Dumani, SPAK Issues Official Response: Verona Authorities Requested the Case Be Dismissed!

The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK) has responded following reports published in the Italian media and subsequently in the Albanian media concerning a criminal complaint filed against prosecutor Altin Dumani by Petrit Çela, the father of wanted fugitive Suel Çela.

In its clarification, SPAK says that Petrit Çela contacted the head of the institution on May 20, 2026, and June 18, 2026, requesting that prosecutor Altin Dumani be removed from the criminal proceedings in which Petrit Çela’s relatives, Marjus Lulaj and Mario Çela, are defendants.

According to SPAK, the main argument presented by Petrit Çela was the criminal complaint filed against Dumani in Verona.

“In support of his request for removal, Petrit Çela cited the criminal complaint filed in Verona, Italy. After reviewing the request and the documents supporting it, the head of the Special Prosecution Office decided on June 19, 2026, to ‘Reject the request’ as unsupported by law and evidence. The documentation submitted by Petrit Çela shows that criminal proceedings no. R.G.N.R. 3514/2026 – R.G. GIP 2877/2026 were registered with the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Verona, Italy, for the criminal offense of ‘False accusation’ (calunnia), as provided for under Article 368 of the Italian Criminal Code, based on a complaint filed by Petrit Çela against prosecutor Altin Dumani, who served as Head of the Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime from December 19, 2022, to December 19, 2025,” SPAK said in its clarification.

According to SPAK, the only element linking Altin Dumani to the international cooperation in question is his signature, in his capacity as head of SPAK, on an official letter dated July 11, 2024, as well as on the August 26, 2024, agreement establishing a Joint Investigation Team between SPAK and the Verona Prosecutor’s Office, at the initiative of the Italian authorities.

“Prosecutor Altin Dumani was not part of the investigative team handling criminal proceedings no. 10792/2023 (Italy) and no. 123/2024 (Special Prosecution Office), did not carry out investigative actions, interrogations, seizures, or requests for seizure, and became aware of the existence of the criminal proceedings in Italy only in May 2026, after the Italian Prosecutor’s Office had submitted its request for dismissal,” the statement said.

SPAK’s statement:

Following several reports and articles published by local media outlets, citing sources from local media in Verona, Republic of Italy, we wish to clarify the following for the public:

Petrit Çela contacted the Head of the Special Prosecution Office on May 20, 2026, and June 18, 2026, requesting the removal of prosecutor Altin Dumani from criminal proceedings no. 193/2023, in which defendants Marjus Lulaj and Mario Çela, relatives of Petrit Çela, are facing criminal prosecution and in which prosecutor Altin Dumani serves as the prosecutor in charge of the case.

In support of his request for removal, Petrit Çela cited the criminal complaint filed in Verona, Italy. After reviewing the request and the documents supporting it, the Head of the Special Prosecution Office decided on June 19, 2026, to “Reject the request” as unsupported by law and evidence.

The documentation submitted by Petrit Çela shows that criminal proceedings no. R.G.N.R. 3514/2026 – R.G. GIP 2877/2026 were registered with the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Verona, Italy, for the criminal offense of “False accusation” (calunnia), as provided for under Article 368 of the Italian Criminal Code, based on a complaint filed by Petrit Çela against prosecutor Altin Dumani, who served as Head of the Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime from December 19, 2022, to December 19, 2025.

After reviewing the case documents, the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Verona submitted a request to dismiss the criminal proceedings (richiesta di archiviazione) on April 21, 2026, which was filed on May 14, 2026. Petrit Çela, who filed the criminal complaint, lodged an objection (opposizione) to this request on May 11, 2026, leading to the scheduling of a court hearing before the GIP/GUP Section of the Court of Verona.

The documents obtained show that the only identified element linking prosecutor Altin Dumani to the international cooperation in question is his signature, in his capacity as Head of the Special Prosecution Office, on an official institutional letter dated July 11, 2024, as well as on an agreement dated August 26, 2024, establishing a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) between the Special Prosecution Office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Verona. The initiative came from the Italian authorities themselves in connection with criminal proceedings no. 10792/2023.

Prosecutor Altin Dumani was not part of the investigative team handling criminal proceedings no. 10792/2023 (Italy) and no. 123/2024 (Special Prosecution Office), did not carry out investigative actions, interrogations, seizures, or requests for seizure, and became aware of the existence of the criminal proceedings in Italy only in May 2026, after the Italian Prosecutor’s Office had submitted its request for dismissal.

The above chronology demonstrates the link between the complaint filed in Italy and the direct family interest that the complainant, Petrit Çela, has in criminal proceedings no. 193/2023 of the Special Prosecution Office, as well as the use of the criminal complaint itself as the procedural basis for the request to remove the prosecutor in charge of the case.